Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery最新文献

Objective: Surgical training programs have a high prevalence of trainee stress and burnout. Formal mentorship programs (FMP) have been shown to alleviate these factors and improve quality of life (QOL) in short-term follow-up. This study aims to determine the long-term effects of an FMP on the well-being of a single-center cohort of surgical trainees.

Methods: A voluntary FMP was established at a surgical training program comprised 8 resident physicians. To quantitatively measure stress and burnout, the Perceived Stress Survey (PSS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were administered at baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. The World Health Quality of Life-Bref Questionnaire (WH-QOL) was administered at baseline, 12 and 24 months.

Results: Baseline levels of stress and burnout were high among all residents with an average PSS of 18.5 and MBI of 47.6, 50.6, and 16.5 for the emotional, depersonalization, and personal achievement domains respectively. After FMP implementation, PSS was reduced to 7.9 at 12 months (P = .001). These scores were sustained at 24 months (6.8, P = 1). MBI scores improved in emotional exhaustion (14.9, P < .0001), depersonalization (20.1, P < .0001), and personal achievement (40.1, P < .0001) at 12 months. All these benefits were sustained at 24 months. Baseline overall WH-QOL scores reflected low QOL (71.9). These significantly improved at 12 months (37.5, P = .002) with further improvement by 24 months (17.2, P = .03).

Conclusion: Long-term follow-up of a previously successful academic surgical FMP showed lasting improvements in stress, burnout, and overall QOL, despite new life challenges.

Importance: Perineural invasion (PNI) is an established prognostic factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but the impact of its subcategories on survival is not fully understood. This study quantifies the number and diameter of PNI foci to assess their prognostic relevance in OSCC.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of PNI subcategories, specifically the number and diameter of PNI foci, as predictors of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in OSCC patients.

Design: Retrospective cohort study, adhering to STROBE guidelines.

Setting: Single-center study at MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, including patients diagnosed with OSCC from 2005 to 2018.

Participants: Nine hundred twenty-six patients with biopsy-proven OSCC, excluding those with perioperative mortality or incomplete follow-up.

Exposure: Histological evaluation of PNI, including quantifying the number and diameter of invaded nerves, along with clinicopathological features such as tumor stage and lymphovascular invasion (LVI).

Main outcome measures: OS and DFS, assessed via Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for PNI foci subcategories.

Results: PNI was present in 138 (14.9%) patients and was significantly associated with adverse histologic features, advanced tumor stage, nodal involvement, metastasis, and LVI. Multivariate analysis revealed that both the number of PNI foci greater than 4 and nerve diameters exceeding 0.21 mm were significantly associated with poorer OS and DFS (P < .05). After adjusting for clinical variables, PNI remained an independent predictor of worse OS [hazard ratio (HR): 1.37] and DFS (HR: 1.46).

Conclusions and relevance: PNI is a significant independent prognostic factor in OSCC. Patients with more than 4 PNI foci or nerve involvement greater than 0.21 mm in diameter experienced significantly worse survival outcomes. These findings suggest that detailed assessment of PNI subcategories should be incorporated into OSCC management, guiding treatment decisions and potentially informing the need for adjuvant therapies.

Introduction: Vestibular migraine (VM), particularly its chronic variant, poses a diagnostic challenge. Patients suffering from VM may not have the characteristic headaches associated with the dizziness. In these cases, a marker for migraine pathology in general could help appropriately diagnose certain types of dizziness as migrainous despite these patients not meeting current diagnostic criteria for VM. Migraine patients in general (headache and vestibular) are known to share a tendency toward intolerance of certain stimuli, including busy visual stimuli. True optokinetic stimulation, measured by the production of optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN) simulates these busy visual stimuli.

Methods: Prospective observational study comparing response to optokinetic stimulation between migraine patients and controls. Questionnaires regarding general sensitivities to busy visual stimuli were completed prior to beginning the study. Both subjective and objective markers of stress were measured before and after exposure to the stimulus. Initial slow-phase velocity, slow cumulative eye position, and adjusted time constant of OKAN were compared between the 2 groups.

Results: The groups differed only with regard to sensitivity to blinking lights and history of motion sickness on initial questionnaire. Regarding subjective symptoms of discomfort, migraine patients tended to report higher scores than controls both before and after testing, but there was no significant difference from before to after stimulus in each group's scores. There were no statistically-significant differences between initial slow-phase velocity, slow cumulative eye position, and adjusted time constant of OKAN between groups.

Conclusions: In this study, OKAN measurements were not useful in differentiating migraine patients at large from control subjects. We hypothesize that there may be a distinct subgroup of migraine patients that are more sensitive to visually-disturbing situations that may differ from other migraine sufferers. Future studies will aim to identify such patients and compare them to controls.

Importance: Pituitary adenomas (PAs) present a notable economic burden on healthcare systems due to their management's reliance on multimodal, often costly interventions.

Objective: To determine total and relative healthcare costs for PAs at Ontario-based institutions.

Design: A retrospective, propensity-score-matched cohort analysis.

Setting: Ontario, Canada, encompassing public healthcare facilities and covering costs over a 6-year study period.

Participants: Adults diagnosed with PA (n = 1675) between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2019, compared to a general population cohort and a hospitalized control cohort matched on demographics and health factors.

Intervention/exposures: Analysis of healthcare cost components (inpatient, outpatient, and diagnostic services) and cost trajectories postsurgery for PAs.

Main outcome measures: Primary outcome was total annualized healthcare costs for patients with PA relative to the general and hospitalized cohorts. Relative costs were estimated using a negative binomial regression model.

Results: Of 1675 patients with PA, total annualized costs were $49,992. Highest total costs were associated with inpatient hospitalization ($24,796) and physician services/diagnostic evaluations ($20,075). After propensity score matching, patients with PA had 12.7 times higher costs [95% confidence interval (CI) (10.9, 14.8), P < .0001] during the preadmission/admission period, which remained elevated postoperatively (P < .05). Total costs did not differ between patients with PA and the hospitalized cohort [RR 0.97, 95% CI (0.92, 1.03); P = .3271] in the preadmission/admission period; however, follow-up costs were 37% lower for patients with PA in the 1st follow-up year [RR 0.63, 95% CI (0.51, 0.77); P < .0001], and up to 50% lower by the 5th year [RR 0.50, 95% CI (0.36, 0.68); P < .0001].

Conclusions: This study provided a comprehensive assessment of the economic burden of PAs on the publicly-funded healthcare system. Patients with PA had higher annualized total costs across all observed time periods compared to the general population and lower annualized total costs compared to patients admitted to a surgical ward.

Relevance: This study highlights the financial impact of PA management on healthcare resources and provides a basis for future research aimed at cost-efficiency improvements in long-term PA care.

Importance: The objective response (ORR) rate in patients with locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell-carcinoma (LA-HPSCC) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) of albumin-bound paclitaxel plus carboplatin is low. At present, it is unclear whether the addition of pembrolizumab could increase the ORR or not.

Objective: To investigate whether the addition of pembrolizumab could increase the ORR, and to develop a nomogram to predict the response of pembrolizumab addition.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: This study was conducted at a single institution.

Participants: This study included 129 patients who conformed to the inclusion criteria.

Intervention or exposures: NACT with or without pembrolizumab for patients with LA-HPSCC.

Main outcome measures: The ORR was analyzed according to the RECIST 1.1 criteria and a nomogram was developed based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariable Cox regression analysis. Predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were evaluated by receiver operating characteristics, precision recall, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis.

Results: Eighty-two patients received NACT and 47 also received pembrolizumab. ORR was higher in patients receiving additional pembrolizumab (66.0% vs 47.6%, χ² = 4.074, P = .044). The nomogram identified pretreatment levels of lymphocytes and red blood cells as independent predictors of a high ORR, while basophil levels were an independent predictor of a low ORR. Calibration curve showed that the nomogram-based predictions corresponded well with actual observations. C-index of the nomogram was 0.925 (0.848-1.002) and the area under curve was 0.925. Decision curve analysis affirmed that the nomogram had important clinical value.

Conclusions and relevance: Pembrolizumab could improve the ORR in LA-HPSCC patients treated with NACT. Furthermore, a risk-prediction nomogram incorporating readily assessable routine pretreatment blood parameters can accurately estimate the response to NACT with pembrolizumab, leading to precise treatment and minimizing the waste of medical resources.

Importance: Mentorship is increasingly recognized as a critical part of training across the spectrum of trainees. While explored more in-depth in the literature of other medical specialties, mentorship remains a nascent topic in the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) literature.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the current literature on mentorship in OHNS.

Design: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines was used and the methodology was registered on Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X5FQ7). The Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched. Two authors independently selected studies, with the senior author resolving discrepancies. Study quality was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence.

Setting and participants: English language studies employing any methodology that involved mentorship of medical trainees and staff in OHNS were included from the inception of the database up to September 20, 2023.

Intervention or exposures: Any form of mentorship.

Main outcome measure: The primary outcome was the benefits of mentorship afforded to the mentee.

Results: From 415 unique articles identified, 45 studies were included. The median publication year was 2020 (IQR 6.5, range 1999-2023). The major themes of benefits from mentorship include improving residency uptake (n = 22), clinical competency and professionalism (n = 20), diversity and equity (n = 19), research productivity (n = 17), career planning and advancement (n = 17), and quality of life (n = 11). Other common themes included active mentorship (n = 29), near-peer mentorship (n = 13), and utilizing digital tools for mentorship (n = 6).

Conclusion and relevance: Mentorship in OHNS has seen a sharp increase in publications in recent years. There are numerous benefits to mentorship including improving residency uptake, diversity initiatives, clinical competency and professionalism, research productivity, career planning and advancement, as well as quality of life.

Background: A vestibular implant can partially restore vestibular function by providing motion information through implanted electrodes. During vestibular implantation, various obstructions of the semicircular canals, such as protein deposits, fibrosis, and ossification, can be encountered. The objective was to explore the relationship between preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings of semicircular canal obstruction and to develop surgical strategies for dealing with obstructions of the semicircular canal(s) in patients eligible for vestibular implantation.

Methods: Patients undergoing vestibulocochlear implantation (in an active clinical trial) were included in the current study when preoperative imaging indicated an obstruction in the semicircular canal. Preoperative imaging consisted of CT and MRI scans. During surgery, the bony semicircular canals were skeletonized ("bluelined") to identify the course of the canals and create a fenestration to insert the electrodes. The aim was to place the electrodes in the semicircular canal ampullae. Surgical strategies were developed to deal with the soft tissue obstructions. These procedures were evaluated intraoperatively with microscopic visualization, postoperatively with CT imaging.

Results: The three included patients suffered from bilateral vestibulopathy and hearing loss due to autosomal dominant nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness 9 (DFNA9). A soft tissue obstruction was predicted in one semicircular canal (2 patients) or two semicircular canals (1 patient), based on preoperative imaging. Intraoperatively, bluelining the semicircular canals aided in identifying these locations, by revealing a "whiteline" instead of blueline. Depending on the nature and location of the obstruction, different surgical procedures were employed to facilitate proper electrode insertion. These were as follows: a dummy electrode was used to probe the soft tissue, the obstructive tissue was removed, and/or a bypass fenestration was created. In all patients, the electrodes could be implanted in the semicircular canal ampullae. Based on these first experiences, a diagnostic and surgical guide to deal with obstructions of the semicircular canals during vestibular implantation was developed.

Conclusions: Preoperative imaging can indicate locations of obstructions in the SCCs. Different surgical procedures can be applied to enable appropriate electrode positioning in the SCC ampulla. This article describes the first experiences with obstructions of the semicircular canals during intralabyrinthine vestibular implantation and presents a diagnostic and surgical guide.

Trial registration: ABR NL73492.068.20, METC20-087 (Maastricht University Medical Center) and NAC 11-080 (Geneva University Hospitals).

Importance: Idiopathic facial nerve palsy (FNP) has devastating sequelae and is potentially linked to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).

Objective: The rate of FNP was compared in the pandemic versus pre-pandemic periods. Furthermore, the risk of FNP was estimated among the COVID-19 vaccinated group.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Setting: An electronic search was conducted in 7 databases: Scopus, Web of Science core collection, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL.

Participants: English observational studies investigating an association between idiopathic FNP and COVID-19 or its vaccination were included, irrespective of patients' demographics.

Exposures: COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccine.

Main outcome measures: Change in FNP incidence between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods; risk of developing FNP in individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Results: After excluding duplicates, the search yielded 906 related articles, of which 118 articles were included. The risk of FNP was statistically significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than the pre-pandemic period (RR: 1.68, [95% CI: 1.16-2.43], P = .01). A nonsignificant increase in FNP risk was identified among COVID-19 vaccinated individuals compared to unvaccinated individuals (overall OR: 1.07, [95% CI: 0.85-1.35], P = .55).

Conclusions and relevance: A remarkable increase in FNP rates was identified during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic, which seemed unlikely to be attributed to COVID-19 vaccination.

Importance: Nasal irrigation (NI) is effective in the treatment of sinonasal disease; however, its efficacy in treating otologic conditions is undetermined. Chronic otorrhea (CO) is an important complication in children with tympanostomy tubes (TT), requiring additional treatment.

Objective: Determine potential factors of NI that put children with TT at risk of developing CO.

Study design: Case-control study.

Setting: Single tertiary level of care pediatric hospital.

Participants: Consecutive patients under the age of 18 with bilateral TT presenting between June and September 2023 were selected.

Intervention: All patients in this study used NI.

Main outcome measures: The main outcome was the development of CO, defined as 10 or more consecutive days of ear drainage despite proper treatment.

Results: Twenty consecutive patients with CO were recruited and compared to 100 consecutive controls without CO. The mean age was similar, with 22.9 ± 18.4 months for the CO group and 25.2 ± 16.4 months for the control group (P = .59). An immediate discharge occurred more frequently in the CO group (80%) than in the control group (46%, P = .005; OR: 4.70; 95% CI: 1.5-13.5). A fast rate of administration of NI was more prevalent in the CO group (75%) compared to the control group (51%, P = .049; OR: 2.88; 95% CI: 1.0-7.6). TT insertion under local anesthesia occurred more frequently in the CO group (45%) than in the control group (22%, P = .03; OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.1-7.4). No statistical difference was found between groups in the frequency and volume of NI. No patients with CO used a small volume of NI (≤5 mL).

Conclusion and relevance: A fast rate of administration of NI was correlated with an increased risk of CO. Patients should be encouraged to apply gentle pressure as it could potentially prevent this complication.